Project details
The Paulownia – van Mullem project involves the establishment of a Paulownia plantation on two family-owned parcels of land in Goirle, The Netherlands. The total planted area covers slightly more than one hectare across parcels. Planting was carried out in 2025 using Paulownia tomentosa at a spacing of 3 by 4 metres, allowing for optimal growth and natural form development in open-field conditions. During the first year, mechanical weed removal is used to support rapid early growth. As the trees mature, management will shift to minimal intervention, encouraging natural vegetation and the establishment of flowering species for improved biodiversity. The borders of each parcel, approximately five metres wide, are left for natural vegetation to thrive, creating transition zones to neighbouring tree lines and water edges. In addition, forty fruit trees have been planted adjacent to one of the parcels, further enhancing the habitat and ecological value of the area. The plantation will be managed with the intention of harvesting the Paulownia trees at maturity, estimated between seven and nine years, for sustainable timber use and long-term carbon storage.
About the remover
The remover, Rob van Mullem, manages the project on family-owned land originally belonging to his late father. The initiative continues a family tradition of responsible land stewardship, with a focus on ecological restoration and long-term sustainability. The project reflects a personal commitment to using innovative and regenerative forestry practices to contribute to climate action at a local scale. By selecting Paulownia, a fast-growing, high-biomass species, the remover aims to combine effective carbon removal with the production of valuable sustainable timber. In addition to carbon benefits, the project design promotes biodiversity through the inclusion of native flowering vegetation and fruit trees, and by maintaining unmanaged buffer zones along parcel edges and waterways. The remover personally oversees all management activities, ensuring that the project is implemented with care for environmental integrity.